Prices of Swords?

[History]

I know this could vary very widely. I'd like to get one to represent ww2 . Of course I'd love to find the nicest possible for the cheapest price .

Could you please give me idea of the price ranges and if you feel like it , a brief education in these?

Also I am sure someone here knows who has these for sale that is an honest seller of quality pieces. If you could please let me know of any recommended dealers or just a collector who may wish to sell one.


Thanks for any help.

[nixe]

army or police parade sabres $100-250, navy $350-700

NCO $250-900 depending on model, condition and if matching

army $500-800
navy $650-1200
lt'44 or MLF $450-700

mark
nixe@bright.net

[Geoff Ward]

Hello History, Prices of original Japanese swords are all over the place but the bottom line is if you only get one piece in my opinion it should be the standard
Army Shin Gunto. As with any collectible condition is a HUGE factor I feel the Army sword is the iconic vision of the Japanese warriors weapon and represents
the spirit of the Samurai and those who followed them in wars throughout history.
For display purposes very reasonable deals can be had on blades that have been damaged due to abuse or neglect and if displayed in the scabbard make nice wall hangers even a broken blade looks good when hiding in a scabbard. One mans trash is another mans treasure so you have to decide on a budget and condition range and do your homework so you will be able to find the best condition you can afford. If you are looking to find one really nice example it would be fair to say above $500.00 If you get "The Bug" SAVE UP! If you Really Really want it you will find a way. Money tied up in junk is exactly that Tied up. 4 crappy conditioned swords will always be crappy conditioned swords but the money saved and invested in one nice piece will be well spent and hopefully appreciate over time. Good luck and happy hunting! Geoff

[Stu W]

Hello History,

Answering your questions is challenging but I think the best advice I can give you is to spend some time learning about WW2 period swords then watch the Estand for a piece of the type you want. There are four swords often collected by folks who specialize in other areas but just want a single Japanese sword to represent the period.

The first is the Type 95 IJA NCO sword. Good examples now run the better part of 1K USD.

Second is an early war Army Officer Type 98 Shin-gunto. Good examples will be 1500 USD.

Third are late war period Type 3 Shin-gunto. Also around 1500 for good examples.

Fourth is the Navy Officer Type 97 running 2K USD.

Now, you will see these values are different from those given by Mark. Reasons vary. I only collect top condition pieces whereas salty examples, if they suit your needs, can indeed be found for much less. If you want only one buy a good one.

Here are two links that might be of value to you.

http://www.japaneseswordindex.com

http://ohmura-study.net/900.html


Regards,
Stu

[juoneen]

If you are worthy you shall find...but never at shows unless it walks in the door...and dealers ears get all tweaked back like a pervert does to his prey ,when they see your ignorance hanging out ,like sharks smell blood when the prey is ripe for the kill....then they sell their bull crap swords to uneducated dolts who expect shows will yield treasure when 99% of all swords is american messed with tuned up home polished crap that's tired low end and over priced...or it wouldn't be there. I look forward to the day shows end all together, and people have to find buyers themselves , as the only ones who make out at shows are the organizers, never the buyers....shows are basicly just a den of thieves waiting for you then treat you like chattle ripe for the slaughter, and most times unfriendly like to boot. You also must learn ediquett of how to handle swords properly first so gun shows will possibly teach you that, and not much more about swords from japan. Sword dealers keep all their technical knowledge to themselves except what is basic information...(and if you are over impressed with the dealer who tells you what you think is special information when it really is not, just read e j peppins basic pointers(also another big time sheister to avoid dealing with in person ) and you'll know the majority of what to look for in swords when buying ) and if you did ever find a good one, you'll be the last to know after the sharp dealer berates it unfairly only to throw you into a deep depression of doubt then talk you into selling or trading it to him forsomething they say is better, only to steal it from you for peanuts and then laugh about how dumb you are behind your back...due to your ignorance and trust of these high profile sharks who thrive on the ignoramuses of the world who are stupid enough to show a good find to a even respected dealer for an opinion...thinking they in turn will be treated nice ,or even fairly , when that never happens , because if they do youll never sell it to them.So.... if you find one good sword in your life now first hand through a vets family..., you'll be lucky...then you need to keep it in private ,because once you show it to the wrong crook ,and if it cant be bought and its valuable , they will find a way to steal it from you ,even if they have to robb your crib.

[GHP]

C'mon, Juoneen, don't hold back. Tell us how you REALLY feel.

(^__^)


--Guy

[reeder3]

Good stuff isn't cheap. Cheap crap is cheap. Although you can always get lucky here and there and find a nice deal, but it takes a lot of work, time, effort and patience and there's no guarantee you're going to find what you want for the price you want. I'd love to be able to buy XOM stock at $20/share.

I have found not all dealers are like juoneen describes below. Some are very honest and will pay close to market value. But understood they need to make money on the deal. Some want 1000% returns, others are happy with 10-50% returns. Just depends who you're dealing with I guess.

[Luis22]

I still believe that you can find really decent shingunto and kaigunto swords on Ebay particularly from a seller called Showa 22 I believe this guys has a time machine and brings them back straight from the battlefield.

[ROBB]

If you are worthy you shall find...but never at shows unless it walks in the door...and dealers ears get all tweaked back like a pervert does to his prey ,when they see your ignorance hanging out ,like sharks smell blood when the prey is ripe for the kill....then they sell their bull crap swords to uneducated dolts who expect shows will yield treasure when 99% of all swords is american messed with tuned up home polished crap that's tired low end and over priced...or it wouldn't be there. I look forward to the day shows end all together, and people have to find buyers themselves , as the only ones who make out at shows are the organizers, never the buyers....shows are basicly just a den of thieves waiting for you then treat you like chattle ripe for the slaughter, and most times unfriendly like to boot. You also must learn ediquett of how to handle swords properly first so gun shows will possibly teach you that, and not much more about swords from japan. Sword dealers keep all their technical knowledge to themselves except what is basic information...(and if you are over impressed with the dealer who tells you what you think is special information when it really is not, just read e j peppins basic pointers(also another big time sheister to avoid dealing with in person ) and you'll know the majority of what to look for in swords when buying ) and if you did ever find a good one, you'll be the last to know after the sharp dealer berates it unfairly only to throw you into a deep depression of doubt then talk you into selling or trading it to him forsomething they say is better, only to steal it from you for peanuts and then laugh about how dumb you are behind your back...due to your ignorance and trust of these high profile sharks who thrive on the ignoramuses of the world who are stupid enough to show a good find to a even respected dealer for an opinion...thinking they in turn will be treated nice ,or even fairly , when that never happens , because if they do youll never sell it to them.So.... if you find one good sword in your life now first hand through a vets family..., you'll be lucky...then you need to keep it in private ,because once you show it to the wrong crook ,and if it cant be bought and its valuable , they will find a way to steal it from you ,even if they have to robb your crib.

Rob

[checkit]

Very difficult to come up with price-guide style values as each sword stands on its own merit due to so many factors regarding condition and quality of workmanship of the blade, each fitting, etc.

Almost every sword will have features that you wish were a little nicer. And Japanese swords have been jerked with and enhanced and parts swapped by their owners for generations down the line, so there are a lot of details to look for. Any sword you look at will have at least a dozen factors that affect its value, and each one of these factors will have at least a dozen variations.

If you want just one, look for a "textbook" example Gunto or Kaigunto, and don't pay a premium for any dealer hype about "rare" variations.

[Military Trader]

Wouldn't hurt to check out local pawn shops. There's one in my area where I've picked up three or four -- at $500 each over 4 or 5 years. These were walk ins where the family sold outright to the owner.

[reeder3]

Wouldn't hurt to check out local pawn shops. There's one in my area where I've picked up three or four -- at $500 each over 4 or 5 years. These were walk ins where the family sold outright to the owner.

I've had zero luck in pawn shops on swords. IF there's one there, they want many times what it's worth or don't want to sell it at all.

[Paul G]

Wouldn't hurt to check out local pawn shops. There's one in my area where I've picked up three or four -- at $500 each over 4 or 5 years. These were walk ins where the family sold outright to the owner.

I work as a Firefighter for a large city fire department in central California. We do business inspections. In the back storage room of one of the pawn shops is no less than 50 swords, mostly WW2 bring backs that were pawned over the years. All tossed in a large pile on a shelf. Neglected, covered in dust, and waiting to be rediscovered. I asked, and was told, "they are the owners, and they are not for sale". Maybe they will be for sale when the shop gets passed down to the kids, as they don't seem interested in the history of them at all.

PG-

[gunto]

I work as a Firefighter for a large city fire department in central California. We do business inspections. In the back storage room of one of the pawn shops is no less than 50 swords, mostly WW2 bring backs that were pawned over the years. All tossed in a large pile on a shelf. Neglected, covered in dust, and waiting to be rediscovered. I asked, and was told, "they are the owners, and they are not for sale". Maybe they will be for sale when the shop gets passed down to the kids, as they don't seem interested in the history of them at all.

PG-

[History]

Ok guys the SOS is drawing near and I still haven't got a sword . I'll admit I haven't put any effort into this since my initial post. I am having surgery soon and will try and use recovery time to study.

I am purposely going to try and avoid catching the sword bug as I am way to broad in my collecting ( I want it all) . I do want one nice example that doesn't have to be mint but I'd like it to be in nice shape and all matching with no excuses.

If you know of anyone who has a nice one for sale that isn't asking more than its worth I would appreciate the tip. I also plan on going to the SOS and if any of you experts would help a newbie out I would also appreciate that. I'd like to meet some of you sword guys anyway . Don't want to be a bum or steal your time searching for treasures.

Do any of you display your swords at the SOS? If so post you table number so I can come by and see them. Thanks guys , see you at the SOS .